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Bloomberg Best (and Worst) showcases data that have been analyzed, organized and visualized by the Bloomberg Rankings team. These rankings seek to enlighten and entertain readers on topical issues of immediate and perennial interest in business, economics, investing, lifestyle, personal finance and politics & policy. Bloomberg Rankings differentiates its products through its commitment to creating rankings that are totally transparent and do not include editorially-adjusted or opinion-based data.

Overview

Bloomberg ranked the U.S. states and the District of Columbia on the volunteer rates of their residents in 2011.

Methodology

The volunteer rate was estimated from the survey population based on the latest U.S. Census data. The rate was calculated as the percentage of respondents 16 or older who performed unpaid volunteer activities through or for an organization during the 12-month survey year. The value of volunteering was calculated by multiplying the estimated value of a volunteer hour, $21.79, according to Volunteering and Civic Life in America, by the total number of volunteer hours for each state.